Some have “wrongly” interpreted the case of Pedro Castillo, says Boluarte

The Peruvian Foreign Ministry is working hard so that its ambassadors in Mexico, Argentina, Bolivia and Colombia, who they were called for consultation in mid-December when considering that the governments of those countries were meddling in “internal affairs” after the declarations of their leaders on the situation of former President Pedro Castillo.

At the beginning of December, Castillo unsuccessfully tried to shut down Congress and install an “exception government”, for which he is now being investigated for the crimes of conspiracy and rebellion, while he remains in prison and his family refugee in Mexico.

“Some presidents of the region, I think, have mistakenly interpreted the case of former president Pedro Castillo,” Boluarte said in a meeting with the foreign press. “I understand that the president [Gustavo] Petro was removed from his position as mayor and went to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and was reinstated, but that case is not similar to that of former President Pedro Castillo,” he said.

“In the case of Castillo there was a constitutional breach, there was a breakdown of the constitutional order for having wanted and intended to carry out a coup and Peru is a democratic country,” he added. “Through the Foreign Ministry we are working hard to be able to restore, that our ambassadors requested in consultation can return to their respective embassies, because it is important to continue working with all the countries of the region and to continue interconnecting with our region, each country counts”, said.

In a joint statement, Mexico, Argentina, Bolivia and Colombia affirmed that Castillo had been the victim of political “harassment” since he assumed power in July of last year and asked “to refrain from reversing the popular will expressed” at the polls.

there will be no impunity

After the fall of Castillo -and for several days- thousands of Peruvians took to the streets to protest, in some cases violently, demanding the closure of Congress and the release of the former president, who has assured that he is the victim of “political revenge.” The repression of the forces of order in the face of the protests left almost thirty dead and dozens injured, the majority in the southern part of the country.

President Boluarte assured that “nothing will go unpunished, the investigation will be carried out and the truth will be clarified (…) We did not generate violence, when we took office we said that we would be a government with dialogue because we came from behind with a polarization tremendous”.

In addition, the president considered that Castillo was badly advised and assured that she “did not move a single eyelash” for him to be arrested.

“I believe that my brothers in deep Peru have not been told the truth, especially those who are leading these violent mobilizations. What my brothers and sisters from Puno, Arequipa, Apurímac, Cusco and certainly from other regions have been told is that Dina Boluarte has dealt a blow to Pedro Castillo, that is not true, ”she pointed out.

The protests have subsided these days due to the year-end holidays, but President Boluarte herself told correspondents that her government has information that new demonstrations are being prepared starting next week.

castle speaks

For his part, Castillo, during a judicial hearing to request that the preventive detention of 18 months against him, assured: “I have never committed a crime of rebellion, I have not taken up arms nor have I called anyone to arms; but I must say that the one who rose up in arms to end the lives of more than 30 Peruvians is the current government, obtaining as a balance more than 20 disappeared and more than 300 injured, Mr. Judge.

“I have not committed any crime of conspiracy, but who has conspired is the Congress of the Republic and other institutions in order to put together a plan for the fall of my government through successive vacancy requests and other tricks,” he added.

Castillo described his detention as unjust and claimed to be “incommunicado” and without “access to a telephone number to call my parents and my family.”

Meanwhile, a congressional subcommittee took the first step for Castillo to be indicted for the alleged crimes of criminal organization, influence peddling and collusion, based on investigations by the Public Ministry.

The Subcommittee on Constitutional Accusations approved the complaint filed by the Prosecutor’s Office, so this report will now be submitted to the Permanent Commission of Parliament for ratification and passage to the plenary session. If it is approved, the Public Ministry will continue with the process against Castillo.

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